NEW ORLEANS – New Orleans ranks as the second most supportive mid-sized city in the United States for small businesses, according to a new analysis by scheduling software company Acuity Scheduling.
The study evaluated the 200 most populous U.S. cities with populations under 400,000, examining factors including the estimated number of small businesses, customer ratings and reviews, local search activity, commercial rent costs and walkability.
New Orleans placed second overall behind Lexington, Kentucky. Anaheim, California, Cleveland, Ohio, and Honolulu, Hawaii, rounded out the top five.
What Drove the New Orleans Ranking
According to the report, New Orleans is home to an estimated 11,022 small businesses. Those businesses averaged 4.08 stars on Yelp and more than 8,100 reviews.
Acuity noted that while New Orleans is a major tourism destination, it is also a city that “rallies around its community,” supporting local businesses, many of which have operated for generations. Researchers cited the city’s large concentration of small businesses and high levels of customer engagement as key factors behind the ranking.
The ranking also incorporated online search activity related to local commerce. In the New Orleans market, searches for “small businesses near me” averaged 1,600 per month, while “shop local” generated approximately 850 monthly searches. Acuity included the data as one measure of consumer interest in local businesses.
The report found that New Orleans remains relatively affordable compared to many other highly ranked cities, with average commercial rental rates of $18.84 per square foot. By comparison, average commercial rents exceeded $29 per square foot in Anaheim and $40 per square foot in Arlington, Virginia.
New Orleans also received a walkability score of 58, which researchers said can help support foot traffic and accessibility for neighborhood businesses.
The ranking comes as Louisiana continues to invest in small-business development. According to Louisiana Economic Development, more than 26,000 small businesses statewide were served through Louisiana Growth Network programs in 2025, helping participating companies secure $1.45 billion in contract value.
Acuity Scheduling said its rankings were designed to identify cities that offer favorable conditions for small businesses by combining measures of affordability, customer engagement, community interest and accessibility. The company used data from Yelp, Keyword Tool search trends, commercial real estate data and walkability metrics. Data was collected through April 8.
